Super Mario Galaxy 2 (1 Viewer)

[Greg_S_H]

IGN just gave this game a perfect 10.

Closing Comments

I think the one thing you should take away from this review: Super Mario Galaxy 2 wholly exceeded my expectations. Leading up to the game’s release I hadn’t expected much more than simply “more of the same.” I loved the original Super Mario Galaxy, but the company would have to do something pretty special to really “wow” me. Consider me “wowed.” Again. Yes, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is more of what made the original so amazingly good: brilliant gravity platfoming. Incredibly tight and responsive controls. Fantastic musical score. But it’s not a “me too” experience -- a significant majority of this sequel is brand new. New level challenges, new gameplay mechanics, new (and incredible) orchestral pieces. All done up in a package that streamlines the classic Mario experience: a straightforward presentation, a much more intelligent camera system, and a rewarding progression that opens up some seriously devious and fulfilling level challenges. Mario has always been a universally appealing game design and Nintendo has done an incredible job to make sure its key franchise is just as accessible to gamers of all walks of life. Most of all, Super Mario Galaxy 2 perfectly captures that classic videogame charm, the reason why most of us got into gaming from the start.
http://wii.ign.com/articles/109/1091239p1.html I was planning to wait a little while to play--maybe after I'd completed New SMB Wii--but it's sometimes fun to be playing a brand new game the same time everyone else is.

 

[mattCR]

The video review is stunning. Every review I've read raves about something that doesn't get enough attention: fun factor. This game looks like a blast. I'm there.

 

[mattCR]

Wow. Pretty much everyone is on board:


Examiner.com gave SMG2 10/10
Escapist.com gave SMG2 10/10
Digitalchumps.com gave SMG2 10/10
Edge Magazine gave SMG2 10/10
GT.com gave the gameplay 10/10
GamesRadar.com gave SMG2 10/10
1UP.com gave SMG2 10/10
Kombo.com gave SMG2 10/10
GiantBomb.com gave SMG2 10/10
IGN.com gave SMG2 10/10


This may end up as GOTY.

 

[Greg_S_H]

That's going to cause a bit of backlash from a certain part of fandom that has to go against the grain. There are plenty of people who will tell you that GTAIV is a POS with no merit. I, on the other hand, am pleased to see those numbers and would have expected to love the game regardless. It could have been more of the same and been fine with me, though it sounds like that's not the case. I'm glad I'm going to be on board at launch instead of three years later like with the first game!


It's a pretty awesome time for gaming right now, with SMG2, Red Dead, GOW3, and any number of games making it out right at this time.

 

[mattCR]

The problem is you have a lot of younger gamers who assume that "Hardcore" gaming = "FPS" only. Which is so wrong and shortsighted it's not funny.

I've owned a gaming system since the Atari 2600. Some of the best games through history were NOT FPS. I'm sorry, I can still pick up PacMan and have a good time, or Tetris. A good game is a good game.


I can respect (and enjoy) Red Dead Redemption. And Uncharted 2. And Little Big Planet. It kills me to see people rail in comments on reviews about how nothing is better then this or that FPS. Please. I'd argue that there are plenty of gaming series that to me mark everything about "hardcore" gaming:


Mario - tell me how many people have lost nights of sleep because they just couldn't get past a level of Mario? Yeah. Kind of trumpcards everything else.


Zelda - Again, countless hours lost, and some truly imaginative gameplay.


Sid Meier's Civilization: You know how many college kids and adults battle it out, every night with Civ4 or Civilization Revolution? Civilization II may be one of the greatest games of all time, and I darn near sacrificed a semester of school to that damn game


The Sims - while this isn't one of my "favorite" games, it's hard to argue that this series hasn't defined a whole different genre of gaming.

Gran Turismo - The entire series has repeatedly changed the way people play racing games, and those that follow (Forza, etc.)


Final Fantasy series - going back to NES, one of the most durable series on any platform.



etc..


All those to me are just as much "Hardcore gaming" as Red Dead or Halo etc. Those are also GREAT GAMES. A great game is a great game. You know it the moment you play it. SMG2 looks to be a -great game-. It offers features that are hard to replicate, like co-op play that allows for one player of a much higher ability to work with another. Can you say: parent/child gaming? The level design is beautiful. This is where people judge how things are worth or graphic design based on how it simulates humans. I'd argue one of the most beautiful games on the Playstation 3 is PixelJunk Eden. And it's very small color pallet doesn't change the fact that the way the game is played is absolutely artistic. It stands out in a crowd and simply looks.. beautiful. It is stunning graphic design. Stunning graphic design doesn't equal video display.


I think there is a huge anti-Mario backlash by people who envision gaming as only one thing. Wake up. There are lots of game players with a lot of different ideas of what makes gaming great. And that is what has allowed the industry to survive.


The most anticipated game for me this year? Civ5. It's not even close. I check the boards and follow it everywhere it goes. Nothing is even close to Civ5 on my list.

 

[Greg_S_H]

You and I have probably had the same basic gaming experiences. I also started with the 2600, thought I was done with games after the crash, and came back hard during the 8-bit renaissance. I was there for the basic birth of the FPS with Wolfenstein, and I have loved the things (though, my computer is too old to play any recent ones, and I don't like them with a gamepad), but gaming is about so much more than that. When I was playing the Quakes and the Unreals, I was also playing Commandos. In 2007, I happened to play two games that I instantly moved into "best games ever" consideration: GTA: San Andreas and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. They couldn't be any more dissimilar, but I was blown away by both. In the case of SA, it was my first sandbox game, and I was constantly being amazed. "A riding lawnmower? Oh, no way will THAT be usable!" TTYD was just charming and had the first turn-based system I had ever enjoyed. Bottom line: it doesn't matter if it's cute or gritty, FPS or RPG. As long as it's fun, lay it on me.


In another forum, I posted that I was playing Galaxy, and someone said, "If you can admit that, I can admit I'm playing Tomb Raider." I can not only admit to enjoying both, I hadn't even considered it something to be ashamed of.

 

[mattCR]

*Applause*


Preach on. Hell, I'm willing to admit I've played the first five "Space Quest" and the first six "Kings Quest" (Sierra On Line back in the day) games and loved them immensely. Speaking of that, I'm glad my kids online found a recreation of a game I played in middle school: Oregon Trail

 

[Greg_S_H]

I'm the only kid in the world who didn't play that in school. Did you play a game where you moved up a mountain by getting math questions right? What about one where you ran an amusement park? It was like SimCity before SimCity. Those were the two I did in school. I think they were monochrome.


I miss the old Sierra.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I got this today, didn't really plan on it for another couple weeks, but caved since I had a $10 gift certificate card for Best Buy and I drove by it on my way home from a weekend trip to NJ. This game is awesome. I'm only on the third world (the overworld map is a lot of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii map and not much like Super Mario Galaxy; it's much more traditional) and the game rocks. I'm blown away by how much new content they created, it already seems like there's more stuff than the first game. And, as always, the graphics are perfect for the look of Mario and what they're going for. Each level is creative, new, fresh, and most importantly fun.


Anyone else get it?

 

[Greg_S_H]

I got it, but it's technically a birthday gift so I can't play it until next week. But, I got it first day!

 

[mattCR]

Our youngest son has played all night, I can hear him in the other room. Any game that gets that many laughs and cheers from a 9 year old = major winner. That's what the joy of gaming is. I'll go play with him Wednesday, when school gets out for summer (hurrah!)

 

[Brian Kleinke]

I was going to pick this up today, but yesterday a 10% games, music, & movies coupon for BB showed up so I'll be obtaining my copy on Friday. I thought Galaxy was a totally different style of game until I read / watched the IGN review.

 

[Southpaw]

I got it and I'm already stuck on the second world trying to get the 2nd star in that world. It has the king flying around on a cloud boss at the end. Can hit him twice with the spinys he keeps throwing but can't hit him a 3rd time. Frustrating...

 

[Greg_S_H]

I want to play this so badly, but I'm determined to finish New SMB Wii first. I absolutely love the idea of a callback to the Paper Mario dragons in Gobbleguts. I can't wait to experience that.

 

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Southpaw

I got it and I'm already stuck on the second world trying to get the 2nd star in that world. It has the king flying around on a cloud boss at the end. Can hit him twice with the spinys he keeps throwing but can't hit him a 3rd time. Frustrating...

Finally beat that guy but it took me like 12 lives. I'm now on the final castle in world 1 (bowser jr and gobbleguts) and I've already wasted 5 lives trying to beat him. Looks like you have to hit him 6 times in the right spot. Taking a break right now because my rechargeable battery just went out. Fun game.

 

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Greg_S_H

I want to play this so badly, but I'm determined to finish New SMB Wii first. I absolutely love the idea of a callback to the Paper Mario dragons in Gobbleguts. I can't wait to experience that.

Yeah, I just recently passed SMB Wii including world 9 and all the star coins. Really liked SMB Wii better than Galaxy so I'm hoping they come out with a sequel sometime next year.

 

[Pete-D]

Great game. Enjoying it immensely.

Only Nintendo can make a game like this, they're like the Pixar of gaming. Amazing even after 20+ years, Mario is still the king standard.

 

[Southpaw]

Yes, great game. Very addictive.

 

[Brian Kleinke]

Originally Posted by Southpaw




Finally beat that guy but it took me like 12 lives. I'm now on the final castle in world 1 (bowser jr and gobbleguts) and I've already wasted 5 lives trying to beat him. Looks like you have to hit him 6 times in the right spot. Taking a break right now because my rechargeable battery just went out. Fun game.

Ouch - I died once to the world 1 castle boss - 2nd time the problem I had was I took out the front 3 first and the back 3 were annoying to hit because he was so long.


The reviews have said the game is pretty crazy hard - I don't recall world 1 being this challenging before, but the controls are much more difficult to master IMO in this flavor of mario.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I got the 120th star and beat Bowser again a couple nights ago. Now, to get the 120 green stars. Since I got the first 120 in about a week or so, I'm hoping to do the same for the next 120.